Fade to Black

In Rosenfelt’s solid sequel to 2016’s Blackout, New Jersey state police officer Doug Brock encounters a man named Sean Conner at an amnesia support group. Conner persuades Brock to reinvestigate a three-year-old case that Brock himself helped solve, but about which he has no recollection, due to memory loss stemming from an on-the-job injury. The subsequent discovery of Conner’s severed head in a park raises the stakes. Brock discovers that the earlier case connects to a conspiracy of organized crime infighting and terrorism that seems tied to drug thefts at a local hospital. Wisecracking Brock is a strong lead in the vein of Rosenfelt’s Andy Carpenter, while his cynical partner, Nate Alvarez, heads up a lively cast of secondary characters that includes a dog named Bobo. Unfortunately, Brock’s girlfriend, Jessie Allen, a fellow cop who specializes in computer crimes, is relegated to a more one-dimensional supporting role. Filled with betrayals, twists, and intuitive leaps, this sometimes far-fetched tale will keep readers turning pages. Agent: Robin Rue, Writers House. (Mar.)